February 2020

February 25, 2020

It's already time for Episode 4 of my Everyday Purse series! For today's episode I am showing you how to make cards with the Everyday Purse Builder die set.

First, I have some purse shaped cards. Then I have a card with a purse on it. But this is a special card because the purse has a surprise on the inside.

Take a look at all three of the cards I made in this episode and then we will talk about each of them.

I love that this die is so versatile. I can make a purse to put a present in, or easily alter it to create a card.

For this first purse shaped card I die cut two purse pieces and cut the flap off one and all but 1/4" of the flap of the other. This created a hinge to adhere the two pieces together. Using this technique is great if you are using patterned paper that has a directional design on it.

When opened this purse has a die cut circle to add a sentiment and personalize message on, as well as a gift card.

For this purse, I folded a piece of printed paper in half and die cut the purse so that the edge of the die was just below the fold. Ran it though my die cutting machine. Then I had a purse card that is one piece. This is so easy and all I needed to do was then decorate it. But if you have a print on your paper that goes one direction you will want to use the first method for creating your purse card.

This patterned paper is very simple on this inside, it could be written on or I may still add a die cut when I am ready to give it away.

This card is so much fun. I added a pocket to the front of this card, when you open it, you can see money inside.

There is a window sheet covering this opening, so the recipient has to get the money from the inside of the card.

The rip strip die set from My Favorite Things is the perfect thing to use on this card. If you do not have this die you can always leave the pocket open, don't use the window sheet and the money could be removed there.

Be sure to check out the video to see how these cards are made. And if you like it make sure to let me know by giving it a thumbs up.

I have listed and linked all the things I used to make the card for you below. Affiliate links have been used. Shopping affiliate links means you are supporting the maker that inspired you, at no cost to you. So shop with those who teach you, entertain you and inspire you. Thank you for your support, because of you I get to keep sharing new crafty ideas.

February 23, 2020

Two videos and 10 cards! I had so much fun creating I had to turn it into 2 videos! I started by creating Gel Press prints that would be the background for my cards. In the making of the prints I feature DIY stencils that are left over card stock from die cutting images. The prints turned out super cool. And then the thing that always happens when I make Gel Press Prints happened, I could not stop! I was having too much fun playing. In the first video below you get to see the making of these prints. And then there is a second video where I turn them into cards.

Here's a peek a few of the Gel Press prints...

And here you can watch the making of the prints.

And then I pulled out my Glimmer Hot Foil system and some new plates from Spellbinders designed by Yana Smakula. The Polka Dot Strip and Yana's Sentiments. Both are great go to Glimmer Hot Foil sets that I will use time and time again.

The look that you get when you Glimmer Hot foil over a Gel Press Print is not the same as when you hot foil on smooth card stock. You get more of a mixed media, grungy look. I love combining the matte finish of the acrylic paint on the print with the shiny finish of the hot foil. It made for some really fun cards.

Here you can watch the Glimmer Hot Foiling and the making of the cards.

Now let's get a closer look at those cards!

Card #1

Card #2

Card #3

Card #4

Card #5

Card #6

Card #7

Card #8

Card #9

Card #10

The process of making these cards was a lesson in just playing. From playing with the paint when making the prints to picking out the color of foil for the Polka Dot Strip to adding die cuts and embellishments to the cards.

I would love to know which card is your favorite. And what do you think of Gel Press Prints with Glimmer Hot Foil?

Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me share my adventures in creating! You will find cool things I used to make these cards below. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

February 18, 2020

Today I am going to be altering the purses. Making the purse wider, or thiner and able to accommodate items that are longer than the purse.

Here you can see both the wider version and the thinner version.

You are going to want to watch the video to see how it's done. You are going to love how easy it is!

To alter the purse only takes a few easy steps. For either widening the purse or making it more narrow, you are going to want to cut off the side flaps.

You can see here that the chocolate I used is hanging out the sides of the purse. Removing the side pieces allows you to accommodate larger sized objects.

The chocolate I used is also wider than this purse. So, when adhering the bottom flaps of this purse together I widen the base by not completely overlapping the base flaps. This widened the base about 1/4"- 1/2". You can change the width of your purse by measuring the item you want it to hold and then adhere the base flaps together with the added width you need.

And can we talk about the pattern on this wider purse!!! I am in love with it. I used the To The Point Turnabout stamp set to create it. If you are not familiar with turnabout stamps, you are in for a treat. Imagine being able to stamp and background stamp in multiple colors, quickly and easily creating your own printed paper! That is what turnabout stamps do! This unique method and design of turnabout stamps allows you to take one image stamp it in one color, turn your paper stamp it in another color, for a total of four turns and four colors! I am in love with them! And with the To The Point turnabout you can actually put down 8 colors on your stamped panel!!! I'll show you how in the video that goes with this blog post.

Take a look at the thinner Everyday purse.

This purse is great for using up your printed papers. I decided to do some pattern mixing on this one for a fun look. And since the candy I wanted to put in this purse was thin, I needed to make this purse fit it, so there was not too much room around the candy bar.

To make this purse thiner I just cut the bottom flaps of the purse down to about 1/2". With the sides already removed, this makes the purse the perfect size for this thin candy bar.

This purses will make a great little gift, or add a gift card inside to take it up a notch. I also love the idea of these purses being party favors. Which makes me want to throw a party just so these can be the party favors!

Incase you missed it, I have linked the two other videos with this die set. Check them out here:

February 14, 2020

For today's card I am making a Valentine for my Hubby. It's part of a collaboration with my friend Jen Hartsgrove of Katahdin Krafts. We challenged each other to make a card for our hubbies.

As Bill and I have been marries for 25 years I thought it would be fun to use the Warm Wishes stamp set to make two foxes with matching valentine sweaters. The thought being we have been married for so long that soon we are going to start dressing in matching sweaters. It's corny and cute.

They are pretty cute, right!

Let's take a close up look at the sweaters and the background.

Both the sweaters have heart detailing drawn in with a Copic marker.. It's very easy, just make a "v" like shape.

The background of the card has some very subtle hearts made with a heart stencil and water over a distress oxide ink blended background.

You can watch the making of this card in the video below to see how I made the sweaters and the background.

And when you watch the video you will see how I had to redo a few things, including the stamped and colored girl fox. Here's what I did with the one I ended up not using on the outside of the card. I used it to dress up the inside of the card.

Now let's take a look at four other cards I made with the Warm Wishes stamp set. First upI have a card made for Halloween.

In these cards you will see that I colored his face in and did not attempt to leave half white as I did with the Valentine card. This sweater is two colors with a colored pumpkin stamped and colored in the center of the sweater.

I used the exact same layout for this card, but changed up my fox for a fall look. You can also use the stamped images meant for the sweater as accents for your creations as well.

I used the same detailing on this sweater as I did on the Valentine's card, but I put the shapes in rows and closer together. This gives the sweater a cable knit look. And doesn't adding a mouth bring him to life!!! He looks so warm and cozy in his Christmas sweater.

Lastly, I have a card that I made with the Warm Wished stamp set, but I did not use the fox.

I used the trees and snowflakes to make a snow globe on my card. The snowglobe is a die set also from HoneyBee, I have listed it below if you want to check it out.

Below I have listed and linked the supplies I used to make my Valentine card.

February 12, 2020

Hey there stamping friends, I am back with Episode 2 of my February Stamp Set of the Month series. This month's featured set is the Everyday Purse bundle from Concord & 9th, a collaboration set with my friend, Becky Roberts of Inking Idaho. I am in love with this die set and am excited to be sharing new ideas with this bundle for you each week.

This week, I wanted to use some specialty papers by Tonic for a leather look for my purses. And I decided to turn them into clutches.

The paper that I used to make these clutches is from Tonic's Specialty paper line. The red purse is die cut from the Red Berries paper and the silver from Pewter Slates. Both of these papers are Hand Crafted Cotton Papers. They are very soft and delicate. So when using this paper for these purses be sure to treat them with care. Because the end result is stunning!

Because this paper is delicate it gave me the idea to line it with patterned paper. You can get a glimpse of it the picture above and see it being made in the video below.

For the red purse, I used some fun black and white patterned paper that I had in my stash for the liner.

Also, the liner helps hid the end of the clutch handle.

The tassels on both purses were made with the Playful Lightweight Paper pack that Concord & 9th carries. With 10 colors in this pack it is easy to find one that will coordinate with your project. But if not, one of the colors is white, so you can always add ink to that one so that it matches your project exactly.

Here you can check out the video, making of these clutch purses and get all the tips and techniques to creating these clutches. And I'll show you how I made the patent leather accents.

Below I have listed and linked the items used to make these clutches. Affiliate links have been used. When you click and shop the I do get a small percentage of the sale at no cost to you. And that means you get to help support this blog and YouTube channel. I think it is so generous to shop the links of those makers that inspire us and give them credit for the inspiration and knowledge they share with us. So, I encourage you to shop with those that have done that for you.

February 09, 2020

Playing with a new stamp set from Avery Elle today, Cupids. It is a such a cute stamp set that has three different cupid images and tons of coordinating images as well as sentiments.

I have had this set sitting out waiting to use it and I am happy I finally got some projects made with it. I am excited to share them with you, in addition to this blog post you can also watch the making of these cards in this video right HERE.

I felt like my card needed a coordinating treat box with it, cause it's Valentine's Day, everyone should get a box of chocolates!

To color in my cute little cupids I used my Arteza colored pencils. These images are so quick and easy to color. Colored pencils seemed like the perfect medium to use for the soft look I was going for. I wanted the birds and the cupids wings to match my Cool Pool card stock, so I layered up two different colored pencils; A030 Mint and A089 Ocean Blue. Coloring with the Mint first in a very light layer. Then I went over the top of that with the Ocean Blue in another light layer. Finally finished that off with a light layer of the Mint. In order to help these blend smoothly I used a blending stump and Gamsol.

I used one of the squares in the set to make an opening into the box so you can see the treats inside! There are about 16 kisses inside and is fills it up about half way. So there is more room in there than you think!

I used White StazOn ink to stamp the cloud on the window sheet for a fun added detail.

You can watch the making of these projects in the video below. If you have not yet done so, I would LOVE for you to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Ring the little bell when you are there and then YouTube will let you know when I have a new video.

Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me share my creations with you!

You can find all the things I used to make these projects listed and linked for you below. Affiliate links have been used. That means, when you shop my links you are helping to support this blog and YouTube channel at no cost to you. So, when you are inspired by a maker, shop their links. It's a little thing you can do to support the person you learned from and it does not cost you anything.

February 04, 2020

Hello my stamping friends! Today I am here with Episode 1 of my February Stamp Set of the Month series. Which is actually more like at Die and Stamp Set series. This month I am featuring the Everyday Purse builder die set and coordinating stamp set. I love it when a die set gets a coordinating stamp set instead of the other way around. And this die set deserves a coordinating stamp set cause it is soooooo good.

Concord & 9th collaborated with Becky Roberts of Inking Idaho to bring us this die set. My friend Becky designed this purse several years ago as a printable pattern and now has brought it to use in the form of a die set, I am so thrilled for her to have accomplished this goal. AND, I am so excited to have the die set, because of the recent computer crash at my house I lost my PDF of this purse. Plus, die cutting it is so much easier!

The plaid purse gets it's pattern from the Gingham background stamp and the second purse get's it's dots from the Polka Dot Turnabout background stamp.

Look at all the fun details on each of these purses, all are die cut using dies from this 17 piece die set.

This finished purse is big enough to hold a gift card and wide enough to put some candy in with it.

I am in love with the pink and gray purse. I love that this gingham stamp set has two images so you can use the gingham on it's own or with this stitched detail image.

For the Polka Dot purse, I was able to get the multiple colors by using the Polka Dot turnabout stamp set. I use the Rose Petals ink collections by Altenew.

These purses make the perfect little gift to give a friend. Think Galentine's day, party favors, birthday gift with a gift card in it, Mother's Day, teacher gifts, neighbor gifts, a little something for your favorite beauty stylist, an no occasion gift for your bestie. The list goes on and on. You can see the making of these purses in my video below.

If you have not subscribed to my YouTube channel yet, you can do so here. I will be back next Tuesday with more ideas for you with this Die and stamp set. And I have often have other videos during the week.

Below I have listed and linked all the supplies I have used to make the purses. If you are reading this on the day it is posted the Everyday Purse builder die set is currently out of stock, but is expected to be back in, in a few days.

Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me share my creations with you!